Girl's With Boy's Names

I'm tempted to use this entire post to discuss all the tabloid/legal gossip that came out this week about Real Housewives cast members - there's just so much.

There was the sentencing of Teresa and Joe Giudice after their guilty plea to a number of financial crimes back in March. USMagazine.com has a nice little article quoting the sentencing judge who informed Teresa that because she is almost completely devoid of any morality, he couldn't bring himself to give her just probation. So he didn't. She got a year and a half and her better worse half got over three years. In prison. Federal prison. Well, orange is the new black...

Before I move on to the real topic of today's rare post, I also feel compelled to discuss Bethenny Frankel's legal shenanigans. She was told by the judge in her ongoing divorce and child custody case to stop wearing her daughter's pajamas. You may (or may not, if you're me) have missed it this summer when Bethenny posted a photo of herself wearing her four year old's pajamas on Instagram. She caught a lot of slack from fans and haters alike. Well, this week, she also caught slack from a Manhattan judge who told her, in sum, to knock it off.

I'll let you be the judge whether this is "knock it off" type behavior
Image source: Bethenny Frankel Instagram

Okay, onto today's topic: Girls who have boy's names. Specifically, Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher and Lincoln Bell Shepard.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher had a daughter a few days ago (congrats to them, if they happen to read...) and they named her Wyatt. In March 2013, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard named their daughter Lincoln. Wyatt and Lincoln. They name of two very important, very masculine figures in American History. Of course I'm referring to Wyatt Earp and the 16th President of the United States. Is this the start of a new wave of boy names making their way to the girl's side?

I admit that this "trend" has been trending since...forever. Allison was originally a boy's name. True story. People love naming their daughters Charlotte and Alexandra for the sheer joy of calling them Charlie and Alex. Elliot and Cameron have been very popular crossover names in the past decade. There's Evan and Dylan and Hayden and Rowan and Taylor. The examples are too numerous to list. So, maybe the only thing different about Lincoln and Wyatt is that they're the first of their kind and in a decade or two, they will be obvious adds to the list. Maybe Ashton Kutcher is a formerly unrecognized innovator and, at last, deserves some credit...

Thoughts? Anyone in your circle who has used a crossover/unisex name? 

Do you like the trend? Hate it?

Didn't See That Coming

In case you missed it, last Friday, the Social Security Administration posted a list of the most popular baby names from 2013. I'm obsessed with baby names and was basically waiting by my computer for the list to post, like a total lunatic with a disheveled side pony tail and sleepy crust at the corner of my eyes. I quickly gave you my initial reaction last Friday and today, after a full week to look through the new list, I'm ready to present some extensive cliff notes. Is that an oxymoron - extensive cliff notes? Anyway, the theme of the 2013 list (for me) is - didn't see that coming. There was so much that I didn't predict or predicted the opposite. Ooops.

Ladies First.

Geraldine - Just a month ago I told you that Geraldine was "right on trend" and would rise in popularity. Wrong. Geraldine had the 2nd biggest drop in popularity of any girl name last year. It sunk from 990 in 2012 to 1402 last year. That's 412 spots downward.

Adele - Another name that I could have sworn would rise in popularity dropped 109 spots last year. Have we already forgotten about the British song bird? Perhaps so given that she hasn't come out with a new album since 2011. Her third studio album is expected to release in August, so maybe her name will rebound this year.

Daleyza - This name increased in popularity more than any other girl name last year, times three. It jumped from 3715 in 2012 to 585 last year. That's a massive jump in popularity. Enormous. So, where did this name come from? Who or what drove the sudden and extreme popularity? After some Google research, I found the answer: Larry Hernandez. He is a really popular Latin musician with a reality TV series. Larry's daughter is named Daleyza. Aha. Clearly I didn't see this coming, I had no idea who Larry Hernandez was until writing this post.

Last Name Trend - The last name as a first name trend has been steady and strong on the boy side, but, as I mentioned last week, I never considered it to be a trend for girl names. Again, didn't see this one coming. Many of the girl names that saw a noteworthy increase in popularity last year fall into this trend: Lennon, Henley, Oakley, Hunter, Saylor, Wynter, Sutton and Carter.

The Kardashian Effect - The names Kourtney and Khloe lost popularity last year, but there were several other Kardashian influenced names that rose in popularity. Mercy, the name of the kitten that Kanye gave Kim jumped 143 spots to 854. Kaidence, the name that we all thought Kim and Kanye were going to name their daughter, had its first year in the Top 1,000. Penelope, the name of Kourtney's daughter, broke into the Top 100.

Flower Power - Many people gave their daughter flower and plant names last year. All of the following names had a big rise in popularity: Saige, Azalea, Rosie, Juniper, Magnolia and Rosemary.

Geography - I immediately noticed a trend in geography related names when I posted last week. This is a crossover trend for both boys and girls. Dallas, India and Ireland had major popularity growth last year, each jumping more than 200 spots. On the boys side, Milan, Atlas and Memphis took big jumps.

Gentlemen Next.

Jayceon - Jayceon Terrell Taylor, better known as The Game, had quite the impact on pop culture last year. His name rose in popularity more than any other boy name. The second season of Marrying The Game aired on VH1 last year. If you don't watch, it's a dating show where contestants vie to marry The Game. Spoiler Alert: season two worked as well as season one (not at all), which you may already know because two episodes of season three have already aired. So, apparently, people love The Game and his (real) name.

Castiel - I don't watch the CW television series Super Natural, but a lot of people do. I know this because Super Natural has an upcoming ninth season and because Castiel is the name of a character. Last year, the name Castiel rose 418 spots and broke into the Top 1,000 list for the first time.

Uber Masculine Names - We get it, you had a son. The rise in hyper-masculine boy names last year was the hands down biggest trend for either gender. Check out this list of boy names that jumped at least 100 spots in popularity: Duke, Magnus, Stetson, Mack, Bruno, Major, Royal and Legend. If we include boy names that jumped 50 or more spots we can add Maverick, King and Titan. 

Ethnic Boy Names - American parents have always borrowed names from other countries when it comes to daughters. More and more, they're getting comfortable with borrowing boy names as well. A big handful of boy names that had a significant rise in popularity came from overseas:  Lochlan (Irish), Thiago (Brazilian), Niko (Greek), Santana (Spanish) and Otto (German).

Hebrew Names - Hebrew and Biblical names have always reigned on the boy's side, but last year was a bit of a banner year for these names. Noah, a Hebrew name, was the most popular boy's name last year. We also saw a rise in popularity with some lesser known choices including Azariah, Jair, Yair and Enoch.

And that's that.  

The New SSA Top 1,000 list is Coming...

Mother's Day is around the corner. For New Englanders like myself, winter just ended (last week), so this news is quite shocking. But, we're already a week into April and Mother's Day is May 11th this year. This means that the Social Security Administration will be posting the Top 1,000 names of 2013 on Friday, May 9th...a month away! Back in 2012, I learned from a savvy commentor that the SSA posts the prior year's most popular baby names on the Friday before Mother's Day.

In anticipation of this upcoming and major event, let's take a peak at last year's Top 1,000 names. I'm specifically interested in the least popular of the most popular. I'm here to make a few predictions on which of last year's less desirable names are on the move to more popular pastures.

Ladies First - Tess, Geraldine, Esme and Leona. These names fell somewhere between 900 and 1,000 and Tess barely made the list at all (though her cousin, Tessa, was up at 235). These slightly quirky, yet traditional names are right on trend. I'd like to see them rise in ranks and think they will. What I know will make big waves are Monroe and Everly. These names also fell into 900 and 1,000 range last year. But, thanks to their celeb association, I have no doubt that this is the very beginning of their rise.

The Cannon/Carey family, including Monroe and Morrocco.
(image source)

Everly Tatum - too cute.
(image source: Channing Tatum Facebook)

Gentlemen Next - Anders, Briggs and Foster. The last name as a first name trend started a while back with Harrison and Grayson. It has remained a naming trend for so long because it conjures strong, masculine names that feel classic. The added consideration to this trend, which is an added consideration to all name trends these days, is uniqueness. These three boy names fit the bill. And Bodhi. Definitely Bodhi. It's going to get much bigger thanks to Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox's new son.

What were all your friends naming their babies last year? 

What are your predictions for big movers and shakers on the SSA Top 1,000 list?

The Art of Naming a Sibling

It's been over a month since my return to Next Stop Baby and, at long last, we've reached a baby name post.  Having another baby means choosing another baby name!  Happy happy joy joy!  Let's do some butt bumping a la Ren and Stimpy.

The first time you picked a name, you considered all the basics: how does it sound with your last name?  do the initials spell out something unsavory?  is it too trendy?  does it have special meaning?  The second time around, you have all these same considerations and the added consideration of whether it works with your first child's name.

Some people ignore their first child's name.  And, I get it...kind of...not really.  Okay, I don't get it, but I'm all ears if you want to try to convince me.

Let's look at a few examples of possibly problematic sibling name choices.  Baby girl number one is Aurora Moon.  Baby girl number two is Britney Amber.  You went way hippie on round one and way eighties on round two.  Another example.  Baby boy number one is William Robert.  Baby girl number two is Nevaeh Jade.  You went way classic on round one and way modern on round two.  Last example.  Baby girl number one is Olivia Jane and baby boy number two is Oliver John.  You basically chose the same name for both rounds.

While names don't create a person's identity, they do have a bit of influence.  There's actually science behind this (click here to read more), I'm not just making it up as I go.  So, if a name influences an individual, I don't think it's a huge leap to believe that the way names relate to one another between siblings also has an impact.  Perhaps the impact just adds to each sibling's individual identity or, perhaps, it also impacts the relationship between the siblings.  I'd love to hear what Bill Nye The Science Guy thinks of all this.  Maybe I'll tweet him...I hear he's pretty legit in the twittersphere.

I have no idea what the above means and not just he misspelled Italy.

If you still don't think that sibling names should relate to one another, head over to Nameberry.com and check out the "Sibling Names Forum".  That's right, there's an entire section of the website dedicated to parents who are agonizing over what to name a sibling.  Some poor parents are trying to name twins or triplets with older siblings.  Talk about your ultimate naming equation.

No need to freak out - unless you're freaking out with excitement, then by all means, get your freak on.  You will find the perfect sibling name.  You did it before and you'll do it again.  But, if you are freaking out in a bad way, just head over to Nameberry and seek the wisdom of strangers who have no stake in the matter and will pull no punches.  Seriously.  I bet you'll get some quick, real advice.  Good luck!





  

Time for a New Blog Title

Before I return to being a somewhat regular blogger, I need to address a foundational issue.  The title of this blog is Next Stop Baby, but the figurative train reached the figurative next stop back in 2012.  I arrived.  I'm a parent.  I have a baby...actually, I have a toddler.   So, "Next Stop Baby" is a bit of a farce.

I thought about it (for a minute or two) and came to a quick conclusion.  For me, the logical transition is from "Next Stop Baby" to "Next Stop (Another) Baby".  When I started Next Stop Baby, I was considering the idea of considering the idea of starting a family.  Now, I'm considering the idea of considering the idea of expanding my family.  So, the new title makes sense, right?  Having another baby is on my radar, but I'm not there.  

That's where we're at.  Ready yourself for discussions on the timing, the money and the space required for a second bambino.  I will attempt to tackle the hot topics of double diaper duty and two under two from all perspectives.  Maybe I'll even do some research on parenting techniques as they relate to birth order (I'm making this up as I go).  And, of course, there's always my favorite topics of nursery decor and baby names.

Speaking of, I'm already excited about Drew Barrymore's second baby...what will Olive's younger sister be named?!  And Olivia Wilde is pregnant, which is another name I'm eager to learn, especially because it's a boy.  Hollywood has been producing some especially interesting boy names as of late - Axl Duhamel and Kaius Jagger Berman...which I constantly say in my head as Kallus...like a callus on your foot.  

Sandra or Sanford Anyone?

I've lived in New York city for a while and I've now officially lived through Hurricane Sandy.  She was a real bitch, to be frank, but I can't complain because I was spared in some major ways.  Some of my friends, family and coworkers were not so lucky and I give them major kudos for trooping it out through flooding, loss of power, loss of water, loss of sanity...

But, this post is not about Sandy the Frankenstorm, she's received enough attention.  This post is about Sandy the name, sort of.  Here's my question: Do you know anyone who named their baby after a storm, major historic event or natural disaster that occurred on the date of the baby's birth?

Any baby girl Sandra's or baby boy Sanford's named over the past couple days?  

If so, tell me about it...stud.

A Couple of Baby Name AHAs!

Last week, a friend (thanks B!) sent me a very cool article from iVillage about my #1 fav topic - baby names.  The article (here) lists ten categories of baby names (think places, spiritual, antique, etc.) and what choosing a name from each category says about the parent.  For example, parents who choose places as names (i.e. Brooklyn, London, Paris, etc.) envision their child in the limelight.   There's probably definitely no scientific research behind the assertions, but I thoroughly enjoyed them.

This short, sweet article, beyond providing some entertainment, provided two serious AHA! moments for me.  For those of you who don't know what an AHA! moment is, shame on you and I'll explain.  It's Oprah's term for an epiphany.  She made it up and I think it's now in the dictionary or at least the urban dictionary.  It's AHA! as in "I get it!", which is literally how Oprah defines it in her video explanation below.  So strange that this video exists on Youtube.

My first AHA! moment inspired by the iVillage article was the realization that my theory on uniqueness being the single most important factor in choosing a baby name (remember this post?) is not true.  Well, it's not true for everyone.  People have many reasons for choosing their perfect baby name, many of which are totally unrelated to uniqueness.  Aha!  There's more than one end goal for finding the perfect baby name and there's more than one path to get there.

Here are the categories of names listing in the iVillage article:

• Place Names
• Religious Names
• Vintage Names
• Nature Names
• Political Names
• Celebrity Driven Names
• Pop-Culture Inspired Names
• Ethnic Names
• Family Names
• Really Unique Names - this is my category, right?

Here's the other, more significant AHA! - I don't prioritize uniqueness in my baby name preferences.  I don't fall into the "really unique names" category.  What's that?!  Hold up now...

The article, understandably, listed names like Apple and Pilot Inspektor as really unique names.  I don't like either as I've previously mentioned (here).  There both a bit too out there for me.  Too unique.  On the other hand, I'm don't like Isabella or Jacob (the most popular names of 2011).  They're too common for me.  Not unique enough.  But, here is where the AHA! really hit home, if I'm forced between Jacob and Pilot Inspektor, I'm going with Jacob.  Turns out that uniqueness is more of a secondary concern for me.  I know, I'm baffled too. 

This double AHA! left me totally confused about what type of baby namer I am.  For a woman who's written about baby names several dozen times, this was concerning.  I was suddenly without a baby name identity.

Don't feel too bad for me...pretty confident you didn't...all that happened was a daily trip over to Nameberry.com to search around and rediscover who I am.  The process was quite quick and here are the results: my taste is vintage, classic and traditional with consideration (not absolute prioritization) of how popular the name is according to the SSN website.

What type of baby names do you like?  Any of the categories listed by iVillage?  Maybe you're a mesh of more than one or fall into a category overlooked by iVillage?

Celebrity Babies Everywhere!!!

If you read Next Stop baby with any frequency (and I hope you do), you know that I can't help myself when it comes to celebrity baby news.  It's not a regular posting topic, but I do write about celeb baby names and celeb baby gossip (i.e. rumors about Jessica Simpson's baby name choice, Blue Ivy's conspiracy, etc.) when it's too hot to ignore.  Today is a discussion of both these topics together.

There have been SO many celebrities having babies over the past couple months.  So many.  Let's review with the assistance of some names, dates and photos:

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler 

welcomed Camden Jack Cutler (boy) on August 8th

Kristin and Camden

Giuliana and Bill Rancic 

welcomed Edward Duke Rancic (boy) on August 29th

Edward

Vanessa Manillo and Nick Lachey 

welcomed Camden John Lachey (boy) on September 12th

Camden John (not to be confused with Camden Jack)

Adriana Lima and Marko Jaric 

welcomed Sienna Jaric (girl) on September 13th

Adriana (no pic of Sienna yet)

Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Wilkerson 

welcomed Tucker McFadden Wilkerson (son) on September 18th

Melissa (no pic of Tucker yet)

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. 

welcomed a son in mid/late September...that's all the info I could find. 

SMG (no pic of baby boy yet)

Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman 

welcomed Olive Barrymore Kopelman  (girl) on September 26th

Drew and Will (no pic of Olive yet)

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth 

welcomed Tennessee James Toth (boy) on September 27th

Reese (no pic of Tennessee yet)

Two things I noticed right away - they're all baby boys with the exception of little Olive Kopelman and Sienna Jaric.  And who would have thought that two couples would choose the same name (Camden) and initials (CJ) for their sons.  Strange.  I wonder if Kristin and Vanessa are pissed about it, each having thought that they chose such a unique, modern name.  I also wonder if their joint choice will launch Camden into the top echelon of popular baby names?  Like Kourtney K. did with Mason.  Last thought, I love Reese and Jim's choice of Tennessee (though I wouldn't choose it myself).

More importantly, which names do you love and which do you hate?  Whose choice surprised you?  Are there this many celebrities having babies all the time or was January 2012 a particularly romantic month in Los Angeles?

Katniss Strikes Back...Again...and Again

It's been almost one year since the notorious post in which I declared that Katniss is not a real name.  After all this time, comments are still rolling in about how wrong I was/am.  People love The Hunger Games.  People love Katniss Everdeen.  People think Katniss IS a real name.

There she is.  Badass.

I get it.  In fact, I got it about two weeks after I wrote the original post, so I wrote a follow-up post (here) taking back my assertion that Katniss was the modern day equivalent of Spock - a science fiction character and not a name.  It wasn't a full take back (I never said that Katniss is a real name), but I did admit some wrongdoing.  Nonetheless, the Katniss backlash continues.  So, I'm trying again.

(The beginning of the most recent comment on 

the year old "Katniss is Not a Real Name" post)

I'm still not going to declare that Katniss is a real name (despite the snide, but funny and informative comments I've received).  What I will do is acknowledge that I'm not sure that there is such thing as a "real" name.  Any word is a name, right?  Well, in some states there are words that legally can't be names (think: terrible, horrible 4-letter words) and a judge can actually rename a child if the parent chooses one of the forbidden words.  Beyond those rarest of rare circumstances, pretty much any combination of letters can be a name.

Celebrity parents are the most shining example of taking a seemingly random word and turning it into a name.  Apple Martin (Gyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's daughter) always comes to mind in these type discussions, though there are far more random words that have become celebrity baby names (i.e. Pilot Inspektor).  So, I admit, Katniss is not just the name of a book character, it's also a viable option for the name of a real life lady or gentleman.  That's my amended statement - Katniss could be a name.

Pilot Inspektor Lee (son of actor Jason Lee)

 

Will Katniss become a popular name and someday reign the Top 100 list?  Ummm, I don't know, though I kinda, sorta doubt it.  But, I'm perfectly happy being proven wrong.  So, go ahead - prove me wrong.  Start naming your babies Katniss!!!

Name Haters

True - I'm obsessed with baby names.  I love listing them, researching them, discussing them and generally pondering them for minutes hours at a time.  I've written about them more times then I care to count (check out the long list of name posts here).

I can't explain my obsession, but I do know that others share it, which is comforting.  I so appreciate a friend who's willing to discuss name meanings and origins with me, repeatedly, because she's equally as passionate about the subject.  I'm a name lover and I know it.  What I don't appreciate is those passionate individuals who claim to be name lovers, but are really name haters. 

Haters gonna hate...

Name haters love talking about names, but their side of the conversation is about how much they hate most names.  The joyful brainstorming session of a name lover is quickly smothered by a laundry list of bad associations and inexplicable distaste from a name hater.  Here a few short scripts to better exemplify:

Name Lover: "I'm really into modern names lately, like Mulligan and Gem".
Name Hater: "Seriously?!  Yuck.  Those aren't even names, they're a golfing reference and the centerpiece of jewelry."

Name Lover: "I'll never stop loving those turn of the century, antique names like Wyatt and Coralie."
Name Hater: "I'll never understand why people like those names.  If you're gonna name your son Wyatt, you have to hope that he's good looking kid because teasing will pick on him like crazy."

Name Lover: "I just met a little girl named Vera, I love it.  Thoughts?"
Name Hater: "It's not horrible, it's just that I had a really annoying coworker named Vera at my last job.  It makes me think of coffee breath and a nasal voice."

GROSS.

There is nothing that will invoke a pleasant reaction from a name hater, except if you reference one of the tiny handful of names that she happens to love.  It's a disastrous conversation when the lover and the hater come together on their favorite topic.  Well, disastrous for the lover.  And yet, a name lover can't easily avoid the conversation because the worst part of name haters is, again, that they think they're name lovers and genuinely love talking about names.

The thing is, name haters aren't always haters across the board.  Some of the nicest people I know are name haters.  It's weird.  I think because it's not necessarily rude to give a blunt opinion on a movie or restaurant, people think the same rules apply to names.  But that's not true.  Name opinions are personal and much more akin to fashion choices or haircuts.  The love of a name speaks to personality and taste.

I love shopping at JCrew (online sales), wearing my hair in a ponytail and classic, but less popular, names.  I get a bit peeved when someone disses any of these things.  So, if you're suddenly self identifying as a hater - quit it!




   

The Most Popular Names of 2012 (a psychic prediction)

I've put my super psychic powers internet searching and excel spreadsheeting skills to use one again.  Last week I went to one of my favorite online baby name resources (Baby Namescape) to check out baby name popularity by state.  Baby Namescape not only breaks down popularity by state, but it also shows popularity by city and hospital.  The mystery about Baby Namescape (that remains unsolved despite my grueling efforts) is how often the lists are updated.  I can't tell whether the lists reflect daily popularity, weekly popularity, monthly popularity, yearly popularity so far...or something different.  My frequent use of the site tells me that it's a daily aggregate of the most popular names, but I have no corroboration of this.

Below is a snapshot of the Baby Namescape website - the stats below are from yesterday (8/27/12) for New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY.  You can also look up New York as a whole and Brooklyn as a whole.  Not every hospital is included on the website, so the results aren't ironclad.  But it's certainly a great tool for researching general naming trends.  

The lists below contain the most popular baby names in the country (last Thursday, August 23) based on the number of states that had the name as the #1 most popular name.  The rest should be self explanatory.  The only thing that is not self explanatory is the most popular boy name in Iowa. 


GIRLS

• Sophia (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin)
• Emma (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Vermont, West Virginia)
• Ava (Georgia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island)
• Isabella (Florida, Minnesota, Tennessee)
• Olivia (Colorado, Mississippi, New Hampshire)
• Addison (Iowa, Nebraska)
• Chloe (Louisiana, North Dakota)
• Avery (Maine)
• Ella (Utah)
• Jordynn (Delaware)
• Josie (Montana)
• Kylee (Alaska)
• Logan (Washington DC)
• Mia (South Dakota)
• Nevaeh (New Mexico)
• Rylee (Wyoming)

BOYS

• Mason (Georgia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Arizona, New York, Virgina, Washington)
• Jayden (Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada)
• Jacob (California, New Jersey, Texas)
• Carter (Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin)
• Liam (Indiana, Kansas, Colorado)
• William (Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina)
• Aiden (Utah, Hawaii)
• Ethan (Connecticut, South Dakota)
• James (Maine, Missouri)
• Michael (Illinois, Maryland)
• Noah (Minnesota, New Mexico)
• Alexander (Oklahoma)
• Benjamin (Wyoming)
• Brayden (West Virginia)
• Bryce (Alaska)
• Daniel (Delaware)
• Eli (North Dakota)
• Gabriel (Washington DC)
• Isaac (Oregon)
• Jace (Idaho)
• Jackson (New Hampshire)
• Jose (Nebraska)
• Joshua (North Carolina)
• Nicholas (Montana)
• Ryan (Massachusetts)
• Security (Iowa)....REALLY?!????

If this random sampling is any indication of general 2012 trends, Sophia, Emma and Isabella are going to remain on top...for a while.  On the boy's side, it seems that Mason may just overtake Jacob for the number one spot in 2012.  And where did Carter come from?  It was #36 most popular name in 2011, but it seems to be on the rise.  Is this the result of the undeniably, ever-charming Carter Oosterhouse?  Could be.  Regardless of the cause, it looks like Carter is going to make a star appearance on the 2012 list.

Popular Names by Decade

Check out my handy dandy lists of popular names by decade.  Okay, it's technically not my handy dandy list, it comes from the Social Security Administration website (here) where all things baby name related are born.  Just because a name makes the Top 10 list in any given year doesn't mean it's overwhelming popular through the entire decade.  The names below speak to each decade as a whole and, thus, to each generation as a whole.  Even if your child is born in 2012, you can give him or her a throwback name from your favorite past decade.

These statistics are based on the number of people that were given the name in each decade (and not the percentage of people).  You can see that in more recent decades the most popular names jockey quite a bit where as at the turn of the century...the 19th century...very little changed.  You can also see that popularity of girl names changes much more drastically decade to decade as compared to popularity of boy names.

Born in the 2000s

1. Jacob

2. Michael

3. Joshua

4. Matthew

5. Daniel

1. Emily

2. Madison

3. Emma

4. Olivia

5. Hannah

Born in the 1990s

1. Michael

2. Christopher

3. Matthew

4. Joshua

5. Jacob

1. Jessica

2. Ashley

3. Emily

4. Sarah

5. Samantha

Born in the 1980s

1. Michael

2. Christopher

3. Matthew

4. Joshua

5. David

1. Jessica

2. Jennifer

3. Amanda

4. Ashley

5. Sarah

Born in the 1970s

1. Michael

2. Christopher

3. Jason

4. David

5. James

1. Jennifer

2. Amy

3. Melissa

4. Michelle

5. Kimberly

Born in the 1960s

1. Michael

2. David

3. John

4. James

5. Robert

1. Lisa

2. Mary

3. Susan

4. Karen

5. Kimberly

Born in the 1950s

1. James

2. Michael

3. Robert

4. John

5. David

1. Mary

2. Linda

3. Patricia

4. Susan

5. Deborah

Born in the 1940s

1. James

2. Robert

3. John

4. William

5. Richard

1. Mary

2. Linda

3. Barbara

4. Patricia

5. Carol

Born in the 1930s

1. Robert

2. James

3. John

4. William

5. Richard

1. Mary

2. Betty

3. Barbara

4. Shirley

5. Patricia

Born in the 1920s

1. Robert

2. John

3. James

4. William

5. Charles

1. Mary

2. Dorothy

3. Helen

4. Betty

5. Margaret

Born in the 1910s

1. John

2. William

3. James

4. Robert

5. Joseph

1. Mary 

2. Helen

3. Dorothy

4. Margaret

5. Ruth

Born in the 1900s

1. John

2. William

3. James

4. George

5. Charles

1. Mary

2. Helen

3. Margaret

4. Anna

5. Ruth

Born in the 1890s

1. John

2. William

3. James

4. George

5. Charles

1. Mary

2. Anna

3. Margaret

4. Helen

5. Elizabeth

Born in the 1880s

1. John

2. William

3. James

4. George

5. Charles

1. Mary

2. Anna

3. Emma

4. Elizabeth

5. Margaret

The Popularity of Being Unpopular

Who saw the news that Kourtney Kardashian had her baby girl?  And named her Penelope Scotland Disick.  I was intrigued, per usual, by the name choice.  The middle name choice was a hit in my book.  Ireland is a common enough name that Scotland didn't feel crazy.  And, I read, that it was chosen as a tribute to Penelope's dad, Scott.  Cute.  The choice of Penelope was also a winner for me.  I like the name and it feeds into a theory of mine about the popularity of unpopular names.  Though the popularity of Penelope has been on the rise for about a decade, it barely made the Top 200 most popular names of 2011.  Meaning, while Penelope may be a great name choice for the new Kardashian lady, it's not a popular name choice.

OK Magazine is already all over the Penelope Scotland news...okay, not really.
This cover was back from the gender announcement.
I wonder which tabloid will be the first to print photos.

Nowadays, parents prioritize uniqueness over all other factors (i.e. possible nicknames, family names, etc.) in their search for the perfect baby name.  This naming trend has presented itself in two ways: old school names and non-name names.  Old school names are suddenly (and fiercely) in vogue.  By old school, I mean turn-of-the-century school - names that were popular between 1880 and 1920.  Non-name names have been trending for a while now.  These are names that were not traditionally thought of or used as names.  This category includes last names that are being used as first names (Harper) and nouns that are being used as names (Sky).

With so many people jumping on this uniqueness bandwagon, unusual names are becoming not so unusual.  Everybody's doing it.  What's interesting about this trend is that it's not necessarily resulting in all babies sharing the same handful of names.  In five years, I don't think every kindergarten class is going to have a dozen girls named Penelope, but I do think that Penelope isn't going to be a radically unique name amongst her classmates.  There won't be three Jennifers, two Samanthas, four Michaels and one unique Penelope.  Everyone will have different names, all equally unique.  Penelope will fit right in with her friends Viola, Sullivan and Cash.

What do you think - is/was uniqueness important in your name choosing process?  how did you find a unique name?  did your name choice end up being unique after all?

You Wanna Name Your Kid What?!!!

Choosing a baby name is truly the first act of parenting.  Well, for those that sit on the birth certificate for a few days unable to decide, maybe not.  Even so, it's at least one of the first acts of parenting. 

It's a choice that has become slightly more complicated over the years.  A hundred years ago the pool of commonly used names was relatively small and parents were, generally, less creative in their choice.  Nowadays, there are many, many, many commonly used names and parents are inspired to make unique choices.  Why the change?  My guess it twofold.  First, the world is becoming smaller thanks to travel and technology, so we're sharing and comparing naming ideas like never before.  Second, being unique is a modern and highly coveted characteristic.  We want to be unique (by choosing a rare name) and we want our children to be unique (by being named something less common).

I'm a modern lady and a fan of interesting names.  I like names that make me pause and consider, like Jessica Simpson's Maxwell and Alicia Silverstone's Bear.  But, once in a while, even I can be thrown by a name choice and find myself feeling judgy.

Who felt judgy watching this video?

Last week I was checking out Nameberry.com as I often do and noticed the following "Names Searched Right Now": Whizdom and Tequila.  I probably don't need to explain why I felt judgy toward both of these names, but I will anyway. 

Part of my problem with Whizdom is that I can't stand unnecessarily strange spellings of commonly use names (and words).  Especially if you're choosing a rare name, go with the least rare spelling.  That's my 2 cents.  Of course my other problem with Whizdom is that, regardless of the spelling, it's a self-important.  Typically, I love names that are nouns (i.e. Violet, Hunter).  But I also hate braggers (more on that here).  Choosing a name like Wisdom...or Whizdom...forces the child to live up to the parent's ego or suffer trying.  

Next up, Tequila.  Tequila happens to be my favorite alcohol, but I don't appreciate it as a name.  I wouldn't appreciate a child named Bourbon or Rum or Vodka either.  Whiskey might be a cool name for a rockstar, but you can't really plan for these things at birth.  I just think it would be hard to take someone seriously if she introduced herself as Tequila.  "Hi, I'm Tequila Smith, your daughter's 3rd grade teacher."  Hmmm...

Reasonable minds may certainly differ.  I don't doubt that some people think Whizdom and Tequila are fantastic names.  I bet there's someone out there that thinks alcoholic beverage baby names should be the next big trend.  So, maybe it's all just a matter of opinion.  Or is it?  Are there any names that are just universally wrong?

I'm Kinda Psychic

Last week, I posted the Top 10 baby names (boy and girl).  Earlier this week, I summarized my deep thoughts on all the apparent trends revealed in the 2011 list.  Today, I'm revisiting predictions that I made last year and deciding whether I should quit my day job and become a full time psychic. 

I'm not sure I can handle the psychic uniform

Last year I posted 3 times (here, here and here) about my predictions of the hot name trends that were marking 2011.  My predictions were based on zero science.  I was just frequenting Nameberry and other baby name websites, and paying attention to naming trends amongst my peers.  My overarching theory was twofold.  First, traditional, century old names were hotter than ever (think Charlotte and Benjamin).  Second, non-traditional, modern names were hotter than ever (think Hudson and Skye).  These two extremes were simultaneously at work through most of last year.  The common, middle of the road names, like Jessica and Jeremy, were out of favor.  And yes, this wasn't rocket science - these trends have been hot for some time now.

With these theories in mind and considering some important pop-culture phenoms, I developed a list of  names that I thought would be big in the 2011 SSA results.  Turns out, I was pretty damn accurate.  Well, I was fairly damn accurate.

For the girls, none of the names I predicted lost popularity.  Nice.  For the boys, I wasn't as on point.  Two of my boy name predictions (Harry and Kyron) fell in popularity.  For both boy and girl names, a few of my predictions didn't even make the Top 1,000 list.  My humble belief for those names is that I'm just ahead of the curve.  Check out the details below:

GIRLS

• Adele – up 282 spots from 909 to 627
• Adelina – up 25 spots from 910 to 885
• Azalea – still not breaking the top 1000 (never has)
• Avery – up 5 spots from 23 to 18
• Dahlia – up 109 spots from 647 to 583
• Daphne – up 38 spots from 488 to 450
• Emery – up 40 spots from 312 to 272
• Finn – still not breaking the top 1000 (never has)
• Frankie – still not breaking top 1,000 (last on list in 1974)
• Joey – still not breaking top 1,000 (last on list in 1970)
• Marilyn – up 2 spots from 547 to 545
• Philippa – still not breaking the top 1000 (never has)
• Pippa – still not breaking the top 1000 (never has)
• Primrose – still not breaking the top 1000 (never has)

BOYS

• August – up 29 spots from 427 to 398
• Brayden – up 3 spots from 40 to 37
• Everett – up 30 spots from 287 to 257
• Grayson – up 25 spots from 122 to 97
• Harry – DOWN 58 spots from 658 to 709
• Henry – up 10 spots from 67 to 57
• Kyron – DOWN 60 from 824 to 884
• Wallace – still not breaking the top 1000 (last on list in 1993)

At some point in the next month or so I should once again pull together predictions, seeing that I'm so good at it.  Have you noticed any particular names or name trends picking up traction this year?

Consideration and Deliberation of 2011's Most Popular Baby Names

Today's post title is hardcore (read: long).  If you've read prior baby name posts on NSB you've come to know that I get hardcore about the subject.

For starters, thanks to fabulous comment from Amy in a post from last week (here), I now know that the Social Security Administration posts the most popular baby names from the prior year on the Friday before Mother's Day.  I knew it was an annual occurrence, but I didn't know there was a precise date.  I had thought it was just a random day in May.  Not so.  There is a sentimental method to the madness.

Next, let's get down to business and discuss 2011's most popular baby names.  I'll start with some interesting notes on specific names, girls first.

• Aubrey/Aubree - Both versions of this girl name gained noteworthy popularity last year.  Aubrey broke into the Top 20 and Aubree jumped from 223 to 99.
• Avery - As I predicted (more on that later in the week), the popularity of Avery continues to rise.  She jumped 5 significant spots from 23 to 18.
• Briella - This name jumped 394 spots from 2010 (#891) to 2011 (#497).  Not only that, but 2010 was the first time Briella was even in the Top 1,000.  She jolted from not listed to Top 500 in 2 years flat.  Impressive.  My previous (here) and current theory on the sudden popularity of Briella is also known as the Jersylicious Effect.  Jerseylicious is another trashy, fabulous reality TV show that stars, amongst many, Briella Calafiore.  Ms. Calafiore's mom must feel like an innovator.
• Brisa - She fell the most spots of any girl name, sliding from 464 to 807.  It's a relatively common name amongst Latino families, but can't seem to hit it's stride in the US of A. 
• Sophia/Sofia - As if Sophia overtaking Isabella for the #1 spot wasn't enough, Sophia's less popular twin sister (Sofia) broke into the Top 20.  I don't think this name (either version) is going anywhere anytime soon.

Briella Calafiore.  Jerseylicious.

Now the boys.

• Benjamin - It may be hard to believe, but this boy name has never been this popular.  It broke into the Top 20 for the first time. 
• Brett - Bye, bye Brett.  Much like the career of Brett Favre, this name's hay day has passed.  It went down a whopping 119 spots in a year from 389 (2010) to 508 (2011).
• Joseph - Perhaps one of the most significant changes to the Top 1,000 boy name list was the movement of Joseph.  He is officially out of the Top 20 for the first time in the history of the SSA keeping tabs on this stuff. 
• Liam - It's the shorter (if we're counting letters), Irish brother of William and it's yet another name that broke into the Top 20 for the first time in 2011.  Liam has been on the rise since the mid 1990s and after becoming a popular choice for celeb baby boys (i.e. Liam McDermott, Liam Costner, Liam Stewart), I imagine it will maintain it's stronghold for years to come. 
• Mason - Well hello there fella.  A mere 15 years prior, Mason hadn't even broken the Top 100 and now he's Number 2.  Nearly 1% of all little boys were named Mason in 2011.  Can we blame credit Kourtney Kardashian for this trend?
• Brantley - This is the biggest mover and shaker of the 2011 boy names list.  Brantley jumped from 736 in 2010 to 320 in 2011 (that's 416 spots).  Brantley Gilbert could be the reason...possibly, maybe.  He's a country music singer/songwriter who released his first songs and music videos in 2010 and also made headlines for surviving a messy DUI.

Brantley Gilbert.  Countrylicious.

When it comes to girls versus boys, there isn't much to report.  The characteristic differences between these groups seem to have held true in the last year.  For example, in 2011, like every year prior that I cared to run the math on, a significantly larger percentage of boys (% 43.77) were given a Top 100 boy names than were girls (% 31.12) given a Top 100 girl name.  This means that it is (and has always been) more likely that your son will share the same name as his bestie than will your daughter.  On the other hand, the Top 5 girl names held strong with only slight jockeying between the ranks while the Top 5 boy names lost Ethan and Michael and gained Noah and Mason.     

Did you have a chance to peruse the SSA website and see if you're favorite baby name(s) were on any of the Top lists?  Any trends that you're seeing so far in 2012?  Do you get as excited over baby names as I do?

SSA 2011 Top 10!!! (at last)

By sheer stroke of luck, I decided (moments ago) to check out the Social Security Administration website to see if the 2011 updates were finally posted.  Each May, the SSA releases the Top 1,000 baby names from the previous year.  The exact day in May isn't scheduled (to my knowledge).  I had somewhat patiently ignored the urge to check the SSA website on a daily basis for the past two weeks and instead decided that I would eventually catch wind through news outlets.  But it's mid month and I hadn't yet heard anything, so I caved and checked the site myself.  BAM.  They are up and ironically just went live.  The Top 10 lists are below and of course I'll give you my full two three cents after I've had time to paroose and digest the full list.

Top 10 Girl Names for 2011

1. Sophia
2. Isabella
3. Emma
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Emily
7. Abigail
8. Madison
9. Mia
10. Chloe

Top 10 Boy Names for 2011

1. Jacob
2. Mason
3. William
4. Jayden
5. Noah
6. Michael
7. Ethan
8. Alexander
9. Aiden
10. Daniel

A Name Before a Baby

I seem to know more and more parents-to-be who choose and publicize a baby name before the baby is born.  Do you know any of these folks?  Are you one of these folks?  Is it a recent trend or am I just noticing it now that I'm baby crazed?   

Forty years ago (maybe even thirty), sonograms simply weren't standard parts of prenatal care.  Without a sonogram or two, the gender of the baby can't be discovered.  And, in most cases, without knowing the gender of the baby, a single name can't be settled upon.  So, relatively speaking, it is a trend for parents to decide on a single name before the baby is born thanks to modern technology.  But, if I'm considering only the last five years (the years when my peers started to become pregnant), it's really the last two years that I've noticed this naming habit.

While I won't choose this route, I don't think it's wrong or bad.  At all.  Quite the opposite, I understand the fun in it.  I imagine that it's fantastic to call him or her a real name rather than a nickname or...a pronoun.  Using a name (the name) might make it feel all the more real?  Choosing a name as early as possible hopefully prevents pregnant friends, acquaintances and coworkers from scooping up your jewel before the due date.  But I don't think any of these reasons are why people do it.  My theory on this seemingly newish trend is that people have been taken by all the amazing baby swag that requires a name or initials.  Below are a few examples of these desirables.

Pottery Barn has a bunch of personalized books, like the one below.  In fact, Pottery Barn has an entire section of their website dedicated to personalized baby stuff (here) with everything from blankets to toys to furniture.

The wall decal below by Stephen Edward Graphic ($35) is one of many that you can find on Etsy.com.  Personalizing a nursery can be nearly instant.

Two blue peas has a slew of awesome, inexpensive (!) baby gifts that can be personalized with a name or initials, like the giraffe and raccoon blanket below.  Check them all out here.

While I just realized this name picking trend, I have known of the general love for personalized gifts since the start of NSB and written about it twice (here and here).  So, was it the chicken or the egg?  Did personalized gifts become popular because people were choosing names before babies arrived or were people choosing names before babies arrived leading savvy retailers to capitalize?